Luminaire attachment



Oct. 28, 1958 c. M. MbsER EIAL LUMINAIRE ATTACHMENT Filed April 1. 1957 AIM? INVENTOR. CARL M. MOSER BY EDWARD H. GOLKO ATTORNEYS United States Patent M LUMINAIRE ATTACHMENT Carl M. Moser, Parma Heights, and Edward H. Golko,

Lyndhurst, Ohio, assignors to John C. Virden Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 1, 1957, Serial No. 649,696

4 Claims. (Cl. 240-132) of glass shades vary considerably and are not subject to close production control. Accordingly, such shades do not lend themselves to secure mounting by concealed detent means such as spring clip means.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the problem by providing for the mounting of glass shades by detent means, which may be concealed, in such a manner that the structure compensates for or accommodates to variation of the dimensions of difierent individual shades and always assure a firm tight anchoring of the shade to its associated canopy.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide glass shades which have integrally formed bayonetfastener twist-on elements and are also adapted to cooperate with or comprise detent means to releasably, but firmly, hold the twisted-on shade in mounted position, such holding being firm in the case of each individual shade despite a wide dimensional variance from one shade to another.

One embodiment of the invention which presently appears to be preferable is described with particular detail below and in the accompanying drawings. This description is given merely by way of example.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partially broken away elevational view of light fixture structure embodying the invention, the view being taken from the planes of line 1-1 in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a view taken from the plane of line 2--2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an isometric detail view of certain structure which is provided in the particular example of the invention which is described below.

The drawings show a light fixture which utilizes a translucent glass shade generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. The illustrated translucent glass shade happens to be in the form of a relatively deep cup. The shade 10 is provided with at least two radially projecting ears, such as the ears 12, which extend along arcs on a circumference of the shade. The ears 12 have notched edges 13. As shown in Figure 2, the ears 12 increase between their ends in amount of projection radially of the shade 10 and as to each of the ears this increase is in the same circumferential direction (direction A in Figure 2) along the aforesaid arcs. As indicated in Figure 1, the ears 12 also increase between their ends in amount of thickness axially of the shade 10 and as to each of the ears this increase is in the same circumferential direction A along the aforesaid arcs.

The shade 10 may be associated with canopy structure 2,858,418 Patented Oct. 28, 1958 generally indicated by the reference numeral 11. The

illustrated canopy has an outer wall 15 which is provided at its top end (not seen) with suitable means for attachment to a wall or ceiling and for wiring. It also has a bulkhead or stiifener flange 16. Fixed to the canopy structure 11 are axially yieldable members 17 which extend under the ears 12 in engageable relationship therewith. Also fixed to the canopy structure 11 are radially yieldable members 18 which are in engageable relationship with the notched edges 13 and which function as detent members. In the particular example of the invention, the'members 17 and 18 are formed from spring steel in integral stampings, one of which is shown separately in Figure 3, these stampings being held by rivets 19 to the bulkhead or stiffener flange 16.

If desired, the Wide ends of the ears 12 may be provided with relatively abruptly outwardly protruding means, such as the shoulders or faces 20, which act as positive stops to prevent accidental overtightening of the shade to a point where it overruns the detent members and falls out of the canopy.

If a particular shade 10 is to be inserted in the canopy 11, the ears 12 associated with the shade are raised upwardly above the members 17, and the shade is then twisted in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 1 until the shade is firmly seated against the canopy. If the particular shade 10 is relatively oversize, the members 18 will seat within one of the first several notches encountered in the notched edges 13. On the other hand, to the extent that the particular shade 10 is diminished in size from a relatively oversize shade, then to that extent will additional notches be passed by the members 18 until final seating occurs so that if the particular shade 1% is relatively undersize the members 18 will pass over most of the notches before finally seating.

In the particular structure illustrated, the increase in the amount of both axial thickness and radial projection along the arcuate extents of the ears 12 are relatively uniform in rate or slope. This presently appears preferable. However, it should be pointed out that this feature is not vital to the invention in all circumstances. For example, it may be desired to make the increase in axial thickness of the cars 12 relatively abrupt and have the majority or all of this increase occur at the leading ends of the ears.

The scope of the invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details of the disclosed embodiment thereof. The scope of the invention is defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A light fixture assembly comprising a canopy, a translucent glass shade associated with the canopy, at least two radially projecting ears having notched edges and extending along arcs on a circumference of the shade,

said ears increasing, between their ends and in the same circumferential direction along said arcs, in both thick ness axially of the shade and amount of projection radially of the shade, axially yieldable means fixed to the canopy and extending under said ears in engageable relationship therewith and radially yieldable means fixed to the canopy and positioned opposite said notched edges in engageable relationship therewith.

2. A translucent glass shade for light fixtures comprising a glass body having at least two radially projecting ears, said ears having notched edges and extending along arcs on a circumference of the shade, said ears increasing, between their ends and in the same circumferential direction along said arcs, in both thickness axially of the shade and amount of projection radially of the shade.

3. In combination, a canopy having an axis and a first and second pair of resilient means secured to an inner edges of said ears engageable with said detent for restraining said shade against rotary movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hyatt Dec. 2, 1873 Burleigh Jan. 21, 1913 Seiss Mar. 12, 1957 

